Men's and Women's to Compete at the 2010 NCAA National Championships6 BIG EAST Men's Cross Country Teams, 4 Women's Teams Selected to Compete at the 2010 NCAA National Championships

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee announced the teams and individuals who would be competing at the 2010 NCAA Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships on Sunday and the field will include six BIG EAST men's cross country teams and four women's teams. Also, two individuals qualified on the women's side along with one on the men's. Two BIG EAST men's teams earned automatic bids to the NCAA Championships by finishing in the top two of their respective regions. The top two teams from each of the nine regions are automatically selected, with 13 at-large selections bringing the total amount of teams to 31. Syracuse, the 2010 BIG EAST Champions, won the Northeast Region for the second straight year to earn an automatic bid. Villanova also received a selection for its second-place finish in the Mid-Atlantic Regional. Four men's teams received at-large selections including Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame and Providence. Georgetown placed third at the Mid-Atlantic Regional. Louisville finished fifth in the Southeast Regional after placing two runners in the top 15. Notre Dame was the top BIG EAST team at the Great Lakes Regional, finishing third of 31 teams. Providence rounded out the at-large bids after placing third at the Northeast Regional. Cincinnati junior Eric Finan was the Great Lakes Regional individual champion, earning a spot at the NCAA Championships as an individual qualifier. Three BIG EAST women's teams earned automatic bids to the NCAA Championships after their performances at their respective regional meets. Villanova highlights the group, as the 2009 National Champions will have a chance to repeat their feat from a year ago after winning the Mid-Atlantic Regional for the second-straight season. Georgetown notched second in the Mid-Atlantic Region, while Syracuse placed first at the Northeast Regional to take the other two automatic berths. Providence was the lone BIG EAST women's team to earn an at-large invitation. The Friars claimed third place at the Northeast Regional. Two West Virginia runners in sophomore Kaitlyn Gillespie and junior Sarah-Anne Brault earned spots as individual qualifiers. Gillespie placed 10th at the Mid-Atlantic Regional, while Brault finished 16th. Indiana State University will host the Championships on Nov. 22, at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course located at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, Indiana. The women's race will begin at approximately 12:08 p.m. ET, followed by the men's race at approximately 12:48 p.m. A live webcast of the championships will be broadcast from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 22, on NCAA.com. In addition, highlights from the championships will be included as part of the CBS NCAA Fall Seasonal Show scheduled to air on Saturday, December 18 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on CBS HD.